10 Health Benefits of Drinking Warm Water

Drinking water is essential to a healthy body and lifestyle. Many health and skin experts agree that drinking water is important to keep your body free of toxins, make you fit and give you soft and youthful skin.

In fact, starting the day with a fresh glass of water is a routine that many health-conscious people follow daily without fail.

Well, drinking a glass of water first thing in the morning is a very good habit, but it is important to know whether it is cold or warm water that you should prefer.

Physicians recommend drinking warm water in the morning, even though it may not suit your taste buds. You can drink it plain or with a little bit of lemon juice for taste.

Drinking warm water is not limited to just the morning, either. Read on to find out how it can be helpful at other times of the day and for alleviating various ailments.

Here are the top 10 health benefits of drinking warm water.

1. Improves Digestion

To improve digestion, start drinking warm water regularly.

Tepid water stimulates the digestive gland to function properly. It helps break down the food in your stomach, so that the digestive system does not have to work as hard and it also uses less energy for the digestion process.

Plus, it helps the body get rid of excess stomach acids as well as neutralizes digestive juices.

A 2012 study published in the Journal of Neurogastroenterology and Motility reports that hot water swallows can help people with esophageal motility disorder, which causes difficulty swallowing, regurgitation of food and a spasm-type pain.

2. Relieves Constipation

Regularly drinking warm water on an empty stomach can help regulate your bowel movements and fight constipation.

Constipation occurs due to less water content in the intestines, which causes the stools to turn hard and dry and makes them difficult to pass.

Drinking warm water helps your digestive system maintain regularity. It helps decompose any remnant food and makes bowel movements smooth and less painful. It will also reduce abdominal bloating, pain and discomfort, mostly associated with constipation.

To fight constipation, it is recommended to drink a glassful of hot or warm water every morning on an empty stomach. For added benefits, add honey or lemon juice to warm water before drinking it.

3. Soothes Sore Throat

Sore throat is a common problem characterized by pain and irritation of the throat and is caused by a cold or flu infection. Drinking warm water soothes a sore throat and makes you feel more comfortable.

The warm water helps dissolve the thick mucus and removes it from the respiratory tract.

In addition to drinking warm water, you can also drink other warm liquids like herbal teas. Plus, you can gargle with a glass of warm water mixed with ½ teaspoon of salt to treat a sore throat and throat infection.

4. Treats Nasal Congestion

Drinking warm water is an excellent natural remedy to treat nasal congestion.

Warm water will help cleanse the nasal cavities, bringing instant relief when suffering from congestion.

When you drink warm water, it loosens the mucus buildup in your nasal cavities and respiratory tract. This in turn lowers the chance that viruses or bacteria will grow there.

Also, it supports detoxification, meaning your body will be able to get rid of toxins, which in turn will accelerate the healing process.

5. Sheds Excess Pounds

Those who follow a strict diet and exercise regimen for weight loss can benefit greatly by drinking warm water rather than cold water.

For added benefit, drink a glass of warm water with a little lemon juice added to it daily in the morning. It will further help break down the adipose tissue, or body fat. Plus, the pectin fiber in lemon will help control food cravings, which means you will stop munching on fatty and unhealthy foods.

6. Detoxifies Your Body

Drinking warm water can also cleanse your body by flushing out harmful toxins.

When you drink a few cups of warm water, it leads to a rise in body temperature. This makes you sweat to cool down. Sweating helps flush out toxins trapped in your body.

Daily consumption of warm water also detoxifies your skin, thereby lowering your risk of skin-related ailments like acne breakouts and skin blemishes. Drinking water, in general, is also good for the purpose of detoxification and removing impurities from the body.

For better results, add a squeeze of lemon juice to a glass of tepid water before drinking it.